A Martyr's Red Blood
by BucketLover413
Summary: The Signless: the mutant without a sign; the prophet who spoke, inspiring thousands; the one who died so Alternia would change for the better. Every troll has heard of him, but no one knows how his story began. No one knows how he ended up fighting for equality between lowbloods and highbloods. And no one knows what happened to those who fought alongside him. This is his story.
1. A candy red grub

The cave was dark. The black holes would swallow any living being passing trough it. The only thing piercing them was the sound of footsteps. A single individual moved swiftly through the darkness.

It was a jade blooded troll bearing the Sign of the Virgin. Her dark hair reached right above her shoulders. It was slightly curly. Two differently shaped horns were decorating her locks. One of them was sharp at the top and the other was deformed slightly making it look like an arrow. Both of the horns were red at the bottom and were turning yellow to the top. Her gray skin was covered by a black dress with jade stripes highlighting the Virgo sign on her front.

Her name was Porrim Maryam. She was 10 sweeps old. She has been an auxiliatrice for barely one sweep. Even though she was young and inexperienced, she was a fast learner and somehow understood the Mothergrub's needs better than others. Because of this, she was favoured by her and disliked by the the other auxiliatrices. However, she didn't let this interfere with her work.

She was on an errand right now. She walked fast through the twisted corridors, not stopping once being confused about where she needs to turn next. In her right hand she held a letter she was supposed to deliver to another troll. She didn't like the fact that she was still considered good enough only for running around the place doing whatever others told her but she was a newcomer and it couldn't be helped.

Porrim reached her destination when she stepped in a big gallery. The Mothergrub was sleeping in the middle of it with a few unhatched grub eggs scattered across the room. Near one of the exits stood another auxiliatrice, an Attendent. One of the jade bloods on the top that you absolutely don't want to enrage. It appeared she just finished talking to someone when she turned around. Her expression was that of annoyance when her eyes spotted Porrim. She started walking fast towards the other troll.

"It took you long enough!" the Attendant shouted angrily as she snatched the letter from Porrim's hands. She quickly turned on her heel and left. Porrim stood there and watched her leave for a few minutes before she finally turned around. She decided she would return to her quarters for the day. As she made the first step her leg stumbled upon something. She looked down and in front of her stood a dark grey egg. Judging by the size of it, it wasn't long before it was supposed to hatch.

Porrim didn't finish her thoughts when on the egg appeared a small crack. She panicked for a second thinking her hitting it was the reason for it breaking. After the crack got bigger, Porrim realized it was hatching. She decided to sit down and watch. She always loved seeing how the little grubs crawl out of the shells. The egg was trembling and the crack was getting bigger and bigger. When it finally broke in half, from inside it a ball of black messy hair could be seen.

The jade blood smiled. The empty shells of the egg shifted again and the body of the grub was now revealed. Porrim's smile suddenly turned into a frown. A candy red grub was looking up at her. Its black hair was pierced by two orange bumps that came out of his small head. He had bright red eyes that looked at her in curiosity.

Porrim got closer and stared at the weird creature in front of her. It was strange, to say the least. She has never seen a color like that before and she quickly realized the cruel fate of the innocent grub that stood in front of her.

The auxiliatrice felt pity for it. She thought she could end its misery before it had to experience an even worse fate. That color wasn't on the Hemospectrum. That means that even if it managed to make it past the cave trials, it would be culled once the blood color would be found out. More than that, she thought there is no lusus that would take it. It was hopeless.

Porrim took the creature in her hands. It started struggling in her arms looking at her scared. The jade troll walked towards the cave's wall and turned her head away from the terrified grub.

It started screeching. The sounds it was making were loud and erratic. The grub started moving around like it knew what was about to happen to it.

The troll raised her arms in the air along with the grub. She started bringing it down with force, but before she was able to smash its head on the wall, Porrim made the mistake of looking at it. She stopped herself in midair.

The little grub had pale red tears in its eyes. It looked at her and she could see terror written all over its face. Porrim fell to her knees holding the grub close to her chest. She started crying and sobbing. She couldn't do it. She knew that she was supposed to; that it was the right thing, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't spare this poor grub of the hardships it was fated to experience in its life. When her tears finally dried on her pale face and she looked down at it, it was asleep. Her chest's warmth must have calmed him down.

She got to her feet and looked around to check if anyone has seen her. No one was in sight. While looking at her surroundings, her eyes landed on the Mothergrub. She was awake and was looking at her. Porrim dropped the grub from her arms.  
It jolted awake and made a small surprise noise while looking up at her.

The Mothergrub switched her gaze from her to the grub. Porrim stood in place not knowing how to react. She looked at the Mothergrub trying to decipher what to do. No hints were written on her face but the jade troll could see something else in her eyes. Affection. That was a gaze she had only when looking at some of her offspring.

Light jade tears started sliding down her cheeks when she realised what it meant. For the Mothergrub it was all the same. Whether it was the Heiress herself or a mere mutant she loved them all. That meant that it could be possible. It could be possible to live in a world where everyone would be equal. If the Mothergrub, the creature their entire species needed to exist, didn't discriminate why were they?

Porrim wiped her tears and looked back at the red grub. She crouched again and put her hand on his small head. It looked curiously at her. She had to do it. She couldn't let this poor grub go into that cruel world alone.

The young auxiliatrice took the grub in her arms and wrapped him around her dress. He didn't object this time, knowing he was safe. She made sure he was asleep before she started walking fast towards her quarters.

When she entered her room she put the grub down on a rug she found lying around. She moved quickly around the room putting anything that might be useful in a sack. Money and food were the most important but it would be good if she could fit in the sack some clothes for the first winter that will come soon. She strapped her bag with a leather belt and put it on her shoulders. She wrapped the grub in a large black piece of fabric and ran out the door.

What she was about to do was extremely risky and dangerous. If she was caught she would definitely get culled along with the grub. Porrim wouldn't allow that, though. This grub had a right to live just like any other troll. She would protect him even if it means her own death. They will fight through everything that would come their way.

She walked down the long corridors again, turning left or right every so often. Soon, Porrim found herself at the exit of the cave and fresh air filled her nostrils for the first time in a long time. She was lucky. It appears that there were no guards. It was something that doesn't usually happened, but the jade troll took advantage of that to run fast away from the containment of the cave.

It was dark outside. The pink moon could be easily seen and Porrim stopped for a second to look at it. The green moon was slowly rising in the sky on the west side. That means it was still early in the night and she wouldn't have to worry about daylight. She started walking away from the cave. It would be troublesome if another troll would see her now.

She walked for a few kilometers, the cool wind embracing her body. The stars were beautiful that night. There were no clouds and everything could be seen clearly. The sand was dry, but it also seemed welcoming, being more gentle than in other, harsher nights. Porrim knew that the nature was celebrating the birth of this different grub. He was special. He would, one day prove to the whole world that hate is not what their kind was supposed to feel towards one another.

It was almost morning when she reached an oasis. She sat down near a tree making sure its branches would shield them from the cruel sun of the day. She closed her eyes and was about to fall asleep after a long night, but she felt some movement in her arms. She opened her eyes and looked over to the red grub.

He was awake. He looked up at her with big eyes, confused as to where he is. Porrim smiled at him.

"Hello, little one," Porrim whispered. "Are you hungry?"

The red grub screeched in response. Porrim reached into her bag and took out a grubloaf. She took a small piece and brought it to the grub's mouth.

He started munching on it. Porrim continued feeding him until he seemed satisfied.

"I'm going to have to give you a name." There were a lot of names to choose from. One that stood out was from a story she heard a long time ago.

The first troll to ever talk about equality between the lowbloods and highbloods. He was a threshecutioner who believed that lowbloods shouldn't be culled just to satisfy the highbloods' boredom.

He tried talking and negotiating with the Subjugglators and the Condesce, but he was executed on the spot. After that, speaking of him was forbidden because it might give the trolls motivation to revolt. Anyone who broke this rule was culled. Even so, he was never forgotten. Lowbloods passed down the story and in the present only very few know the name of the troll considered a hero because he died for the good of his people. His name was Kankri.

Porrim knew that their lives won't be easy from now on. It would be worse than hell to live in this world, but they will make it. They will definitely make it.

"Kankri. Do you like that name?"

The grub laughed and Porrim started crying for the third time that day. This creature was so beautiful, so complex and yet so simple.

This day will always be a day that Porrim will remember for it is the day she ran away from her duties to raise a mutant. The day in which the individual who will change Alternia forever was born. The day Kankri hatched. And the day his story began.


	2. An old hive

The next evening Porrim woke up from her deep sleep. The blinding sun was barely setting when her tired jade eyes opened. The nightmares troubled her sleep, like every time, but she was used to it by now. They didn't bother her so much anymore.

The sleepiness, however was quickly run over by worry when she couldn't feel Kankri's weight in her arms. The jade troll stood up and looked around. Her beating heart only calmed down when she saw the grub curiously examining a leaf a few meters away from her. Her lips curled upwards in a loving smile as she walked over to him.

When she picked him up, he made a small surprise noise. Porrim turned him over so he could rest on his back. Kankri's eyes lit up and he smiled after he saw the familiar face that fed him a night before.

Porrim went back to the tree and sat down near it. She reached in her bag and got another grubloaf from which she took small pieces to feed her grub. He almost ate the whole loaf until he decided he was full. After, the jade troll heard her own stomach grumble she checked the bag to see how much food was left. Only after making sure it was enough she allowed herself to finished the small piece left from Kankri's grubloaf.

She finished eating quickly and after she gave some water to the grub and drank some herself, she continued the long road. She decided that her old hive will be their destination. It would be a good place for Kankri to pupate and even if it has been raided by the rogue trolls it could give them shelter for the winters that will come soon.

The walk was long and exhausting. For their journey to take as little as possible, Porrim walked during the days too. She made sure Kankri was well protected from the sun while she would tolerate it. It did bother her but it didn't blind her like it did to other trolls. It had something to do with the color of her blood, she was sure. During the journey most of the food went to Kankri, who was a grub preparing for pupation. He had to eat as much as possible, leaving Porrim with little to no food.

After about five days of walking, the jade troll finally had the hunger and exhaustion catch up to her. The sun was up in the sky and the scorching heat of the desert was too much to bear. Porrim was sure she would have fallen to the ground right then and there if luck hadn't smiled upon her. Right in front of her, about 40 meters away stood the remains of what appeared to be a carriage.

She started walking faster trying her best not to trip. Her long dress wasn't helping her with this. When Porrim finally reached the broken pieces of wood she fell down in their shadows and passed out instantly.

When she woke up the air around her was cool. She sighed in pleasure as she opened her eyes. She stood up and looked around her. Only now she noticed that the sand was stained. Instead of the blinding white that shone even during the night there was a giant, horrendous splotch of bronze and yellow. Porrim didn't know what happened there but she could guess. The blood stains were still fresh so it must have happened just a while back.

Porrim stood up and looked inside the carriage. There was a sack that she took and opened. Inside there were about a dozen fruits. Not believing her eyes she reached inside the bag and took out a green fruit with soft skin. These were krihiaples. A kind of fruit with a soft, green skin and bitter taste that were really expensive.

Without hesitation, the jade troll took a big bite from the fruit. In a few minutes the krihiaple she held in her hand was already gone and her hunger disappeared. She put Kankri on the still warm sand and put every fruit in her bag. It was heavier now but she will have to carry it. She still had some food but she was out of water and these fruits would work perfectly as a substitute.

Deciding she shouldn't keep hanging around in case someone returned for what they lost, Porrim started walking again. She reached her hive 10 days later. The hive looked almost the same. Except it wasn't as tidy and it was obvious that someone has been there after she left. The door was wide open, for example. When the troll reached it she stopped in front of it.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside not letting her guard down for a second. She didn't close the door in case she had to escape. With slow and steady steps, Porrim walked through the place she once called home. She held Kankri close to her chest making sure to protect him.

The jade blood looked around the first floor of the hive to make sure it was safe. The place was a mess. Furniture was overturned everywhere and the floor was full of dust. Porrim could tell that no one has been there for a while but she couldn't risk it.

She kept exploring until she made sure the first floor was clear of any enemies. When she checked every block and every corner she made her way up the stairs. She looked into every single room, even though she knew some of them had been empty. When she still lived here she thought that all of those extra blocks were useless and left them with nothing in them, but most of the things she used to deposit in there were stolen.

There was only one block she didn't look in: her respiteblock where she used to spend most of her time in. When she opened the door countless flashbacks appeared in her mind about all the things she did here, by herself or with her lusus and some friends. She wondered if they were still alive. If they were, were they leading a good life? She doubted it. Most of her friends were lowbloods, after all.

Porrim finally let down her guard. The block looked the same but also different. It was a big area with pale green walls and a window on the opposite wall of where she was standing. Right below it, there was a desk with a chair that was on the floor. In the far, right corner, stood what remained of her recuperacoon. Near it a small nightstand that had gathered a lot of dust. In the other side of the room there was a closet as big as the wall. Porrim walked to it and opened it. There was still a few torn pieces of fabric but all of the clothes she had to leave behind were gone.

She walked over to her desk and put Kankri down on it. He was still asleep. She opened the first drawer and used her claws to lift the fake bottom that her rust blooded friend made for her a long time ago. From there she took the spare key and ran downstairs to lock the door. For the first time in a few weeks she finally felt safe.

She went and checked every window to make sure it was closed and when the jade troll returned upstairs she found Kankri awake, almost falling off the desk. Porrim walked over to him and sat down on the chair, after picking it up. She opened her sack and took out the last two krihiaples. She gave one to Kankri and ate one herself.

She finished it quickly and her gaze started following the small grub's every movement as he was munching on the bitter fruit she gave him. After he was done, he looked up at her with his big, red eyes. Porrim smiled, her fangs showing slightly.

She was really tired. She walked around the block and tried to make a comfortable sleeping place out of everything she could find. When she was done, the light outside her window told her that she should get some sleep. She picked up Kankri and put him near her after she lay down. She made sure he was asleep. Only then, Porrim let the sweet world of nightmares overtake her.

When her eyes opened, the place was covered in darkness once again. The pink moon was giving it a little bit of light. The jade blood looked beside her, only to realize that her little grub wasn't there. She sat up, rubbing the sleep off her eyes. She scanned the block and her eyes landed on a strange structure that wasn't there before.

She walked over to it and she noticed how the light of the moon reflected off it. In the middle, there was a small hole and as she got closer she noticed something red moving. By the time she was near it, the hole was almost sealed but there was enough space to see a few locks of black hair and after a few more seconds, everything turned to crystal.

Porrim touched the substance and noticed that it was wet and slimy. She looked back to where the hole used to be and a small, loving smile appeared on her face. Her little grub would soon become a wiggler. He began his pupation and in a few perigees he would learn to walk and speak and survive.

The jade troll started pacing her respiteblock thinking about what to do next. She stopped when she noticed the view outside her window. She approached it and took in everything she saw. The sky was clear and hundreds of thousands of stars stretched throughout the horizon. The time seemed to stop as Porrim convinced herself once again that they would make it. They will be able to survive in this world, no matter what.


	3. A good friend's death

The crescent moons were brightening up the sky and they were getting higher and higher.

Porrim stepped away from the window and looked around her block to find her bag. She took it in her hands and threw on the floor every piece of clothing that she stuffed in there. At the bottom, there was a small sack of money that she managed to take from the Brooding Caverns. Afterwards, she looked through what she brought with her and took a long, black cloak that would cover her entire figure.

She was about to leave, but before she did, she looked at the corner of the block where Kankri was resting. The jade troll suppressed any thought that something might happen in her absence and ran down the stairs and left through the door, making sure to lock it.

The air of the desert was cold and the sand shifted beneath her feet with every step she took. Porrim used to follow this road almost every day, when she was younger. She was going into the small city, that was just west of her hive, to get some food supplies. She had to be careful, because it is unusual for a young jade blooded troll who is supposed to be an auxiliatrice walk around, outside. She wouldn't be able to explain her presence there if a highblood caught her.

The journey took about 20 minutes and when Porrim caught sight of the city in the distance, she started feeling nervous.

The buildings were large with a main road going through the middle of the it. The different colored constructions had small, narrow streets between. The jade troll decided to walk on the backstreets because the main road was way too full of trolls of all kinds of castes and ages. Some of them were walking alone, trying not to be noticed and others, in groups shouting and laughing.

Porrim made sure her cloak was covering her face before she entered the city, in case someone would recognize her. She started walking through the back streets in the direction of shop she knew it had what she wanted: good food at a cheap price.

She didn't run into too many trolls, but she still made sure to look around, in case someone followed her. She entered the shop in a hurry and slammed the door shut. The troll behind the counter, a bronze blood, gave her a look of annoyance before he returned to the book he was reading.

The jade troll took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She was way too nervous and she might mess something up because of that. After she managed to calm her nerves, Porrim started walking around the store and picked up as much food as she could get and still have some money afterwards. She put it in a bag and placed in front of the other troll.

He seemed annoyed again, but he looked through what Porrim got. After he was done he told her the price and she placed a few coins in his hand. He quickly got back to his book as Porrim picked up her bag and walked out the door.

She walked fast ignoring the few trolls that were hanging around the backstreets. She wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible but a commotion caught her attention. She stopped after she passed by a small street that was connecting to the main road. Trying not to be seen, Porrim peeked at what was happening.

Her breath hitched in her throat in shock after she saw what happened.

In the middle of the street, there was a rust blood kneeling in front of Subjugglator. He had small pointed horns curved outwards. His black hair was curly and short. He was wearing a set of completely black clothes with a symbol on his chest: Arrius- The sign of the Visualizer.

He was Tremok Lumvax. He is Porrim's moirail. Or at least he used to be before she left to fulfill her duty as an auxiliatrix. Leaving him was the hardest thing she has ever done. They used to be so close and did almost everything together. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

"Just let it go," Tremok cried out to the highblood in front of him as he clutched his stomach in pain.

Porrim looked at her. She was tall and big like every other Subjugglator but unlike them she wasn't wearing any face paint and was wielding two long, sharp knives. Her hair was straight and it was barely reaching her shoulder. Her horns were long, thick at the bottom and sharp at the top. They were slightly curved inwards. Capriga- The sign of the Surveyor was beautifully embroidered on her black shirt. She wore a sick grin on her face.

The jade troll has never seen her before, but recognized her as Sernah Imviar. A purple blood that lived in this city, walking around killing lots of lowbloods. She loved killing. The color on her fluffy pants and drops of blood on her left cheek was proof enough.

"Oh, and why would I do that? You wasted my time by not letting me pass." She licked her lips as she started approaching Tremok. He struggled to stand up and looked into her eyes.

"I already apologized. Are you seriously going to kill me just because of that? What gives you the right to do it? I am in no way beneath you," Tremok shouted trying his best to ignore the pain that was going through his body.

Sernah's eyes started filling with rage as she shouted. "You? You damn fudgeblood are not beneath me? Are you fucking around with me? I should kill you just for saying that!" All of the trolls in the vicinity flinched after hearing her powerful voice. "You are at the bottom, the lowest of the low, beneath me, yet you talk like you are my equal?"

The highblood kept walking towards Tremok. In a flash, she ran past him and put her knives away. The rust blood let out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground. The purple blood turned around and spit in his direction.

"Bleed to death, fudgeblood." She turned around and left not looking behind her once.

Porrim screamed Tremok's name as she ran towards him. She dropped her bag on the ground as she helped him sit on his back. She looked at his stomach which had a giant, horizontal cut. There was blood everywhere. She used her hands to press as hard as she could trying to stop it.

"Porrim, what are you doing here?" Tremok's voice was shaking as he talked.

"Shh, don't speak. Let me treat you, we can stop the bleeding." It took Porrim everything to hold her tears back.

Tremok chuckled. "I lost too much blood. I won't make it. Please, at least let me hear your voice in my last moments," he couldn't talk anymore, his words turning to violent coughs that caused him even more pain.

"No, there must be something we can do. I can't let you die." Jade tears started falling down her grey cheeks. Tremok smiled and used his clawed hand to wipe them.

"Please, Porrim." Even though he didn't say it, she knew what that plead meant. 'Let me die in peace.'

Porrim sighed and tried her best to smile. "I adopted a grub. He was different and I knew that he wouldn't survive alone. I took him and ran away. He pupated and I came here to get food. He is the most wonderful creature I have ever seen," she stuttered when she spoke trying to control her tears.

"That's unusual," Tremok smiled. "But you always did things like that. You stood out from everyone else. I am so glad that I spent my sweeps with you."

"No, please, don't leave me. You can't die here. Not like this," Porrim started rambling uncontrollably as sobs took over her body.

The rust blood sighed. "Please, don't cry because of me. I will always be with you. Just promise me one thing: stay safe and don't let anyone tell you how to live your life."

Tremok closed three fingers on his right hand leaving the index and middle finger. He used the last of his strength to raise his hand. Porrim followed and used her own blood stained hand to form a diamond.

"I promise." As soon as Porrim whispered those words, Tremok's burgundy eyes closed, his smile froze and his hand fell leaving Porrim's fingers to symbolize their broken moirallegiance.

Porrim started crying and sobbing, holding the body of her best friend to her chest. The rest of the trolls, however, were just walking past her. The lowbloods looked at her with pity, maybe understanding what she was going through. The highbloods were just passing by without a care.

She kept crying in the middle of the road before she remembered the promise she made to him. She wiped her tears and stood up. She put her bag on her shoulder and took the lifeless body of her moirail in her arms.

She stepped past the city gates and into the unforgiving desert. She walked for a few minutes until she reached a big, withered tree. They spent a lot of time laying under that tree. Watching the infinite sky and talking about anything and everything.

Porrim put Tremok down near the tree stump. She started digging a hole using her hands. It took her a few hours, and her hands even started bleeding but she didn't give up. By the time she was done, the morning sun peeked from over the sand dunes. She picked up Tremok and put him slowly into the ground. She looked at him and caressed him cheek softly. Tears threatened to spill again but she got to work before they did.

She filled the hole with sand and after she was done, she put a rock to symbolize the place where her friend was resting. She couldn't control her tears anymore, so she let them fall. She kept crying until there were no more tears to shed. And even then she sat down near the grave she made, mourning the death of her best friend.

When the sun of the desert started heating up the sand in such a way that she couldn't bear it anymore she stood up, took her bag and returned to her hive. She unlocked the front door and let herself fall on the dusted sofa she didn't have time to clean.

She fell asleep instantly, but unlike other times, nightmares didn't plague her sleep. Instead, beautiful memories of her and Tremok that hurt more than any nightmare. How he loved crafting and her hive would fill with items made by him. And how much she hated his fashion sense and made him clothes. Everything they did together came back to her.

She didn't sleep for long and when she woke up she could still feel tears on her cheeks. She felt more rested, so she decided to go upstairs to check on Kankri.

Porrim opened the door to her respiteblock slowly. She walked over to where the crystallized form of her grub was. She touched it and tears spilling from her eyes again.

She decided right then and there that she would never let anyone she loved, die again. Not while she watched helplessly. Kankri was all she had now, and she swore she would protect him.


	4. A new-found power

Porrim spent the last few perigees trying her best to not need to go in the city. She walked a lot further to reach the forests and spent there a lot of time, slaying beasts. She would return to her hive once in a while to check on Kankri. The jade troll would, of course, stop by her friend's resting place on her way.

It was the third winter when she returned from one of her hunts. She noticed something wrong with the hive. The air felt cold against her face. Her skin was protected by a thick black cloak. Only her face was visible. On her back she dragged heavily the body of a beast she managed to kill in the forest. It was hard for her to find it, seeing as it was winter and most animals were still hibernating.

When Porrim reached the front door of her hive she noticed that the lock was broken. She entered the place quietly and dropped the body of the beast on the floor. She didn't waste any time exploring the rest of the hive. She just quickly dashed upstairs to where her soon-to-be wiggler rested.

When she reached the room she stopped for a second when she heard voices. She peaked inside and saw two trolls examining the pupa.

"What the fuck is this?" The taller of the two exclaimed.

"I have no idea. It wasn't here when we passed by, last time. Do you think it's valuable?" The other one chuckled.

"Only one way to find out." The one wearing black raised one of the daggers she was holding in her hand but before she could hit the pupa, Porrim distracted her attention by shouting.

"Who are you?"

Startled by the voice, both of them turned around and looked at each other before smiling at Porrim.

The jade troll could see their faces. One of them was an olive blood while the other was a cerulean.

The olive troll had long, messy hair that was obviously never taken care of. Two small, swirly horns were seen in his messy locks. His ripped, dark coloured clothes were covered by a big hoofbeast fur cloak. The sign on the front, Leries, was almost transparent showing how old his clothes were. When his eyes met Porrim's he reached to his hip from where he took a green scepter.

The cerulean troll, however, put her knives back. Her hair was shaved on the right side and on the left side it was falling beautifully on her shoulder. Her horns were black beetle-like with a sharp, curved tip. Her lips and left eyebrow were pierced by what appeared to be gold. Her clothes were neat and taken care of. She wore a blue top having her sign displayed in black: Scorsci- The sign of the Fixer. On her shoulders, a black cloak was giving her warmth, hiding her body frame.

"Oh, we're terribly sorry. We didn't know someone was living here. Right, Ralyie?" Her lips were curved in a smiled that showed her intentions. The other troll put his scepter back and played along

"That's right. We'll leave right away." They didn't leave, however. They stood in place. Porrim knew not to trust them. She moved away from the door and walked towards her desk on which she had a knife. Noticing this, the one named Ralyie took his scepter again. The other one put a hand in front of him to stop him.

"What? But, Prirai, she wants to attack us!"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Maybe, you would be so kind as to feed us?" She smiled at Porrim. "You see, we have been traveling a long road."

Porrim kept walking towards the desk keeping her eyes on the trolls. Once she got there she took the knife in her hand and pointed it towards them. "If you truly have, then you must know that there is no room for strangers. Leave!"

Prirai laughed wholeheartedly. "You don't have to get aggressive. We will leave."

Prirai walked towards the door with Ralyie behind her. Porrim walked towards them slowly. Without warning, the blue blooded troll flicked her wrist to give Ralyie a sign that meant 'go all out'.

He used his speed to get behind Porrim in a second. He used his scepter to choke her and limit her movements. Prirai turned around.

"After we steal everything you own. Don't struggle and we might let you live." She grinned at Porrim showing her fangs. "Now, tell me what that thing is." She pointed to the crystal structure in the corner of the room.

"It isn't anything worth money." Porrim spoke without being able to control herself. She felt some sort of energy coming from the troll interrogating her.

"I see. Where do you keep your money?" Prirai continued.

Porrim tried her best to keep her mouth shut, but it was in vain. "There is a small bag under the fake-bottom of the first drawer." She used her head to point to her desk. The blue blooded troll walked over to where the desk is. After rummaging through it she took out a small bag.

"Is that it?"

"Yes," Porrim answered. After that she felt her head feel lighter and she hostilely asked. "How did you do that?"

Prirai laughed again and started explaining. "I am one of the only members of my caste possessing psychic abilities. Everybody is hopeless against me."

"Is that all we are going to get from here?" Ralyie asked sounding annoyed.

"There isn't anything else. We could take these clothes and sell them to the lowbloods. Many of them are dying, now that it's winter."

"Oh yes, we can make loads if we sell them of good prices." The olive troll laughed. "What about her?"

"I'll take care of her. Move back."

Ralyie did as he was told and stepped back from Porrim. Prirai took one of her daggers and put it through the jade troll's chest. Porrim fell to the ground while Prirai was cleaning her dagger with a white cloth. Porrim started coughing violently, until she finally hit the cold floor and her eyes closed.

The two other trolls ignored her as they walked around the hive taking anything that might be useful. They brought everything to the respiteblock where they put in a sacks everything they found.

They worked fast, but it took them about half an hour to get everything done. They walked out the door of the block carrying the sack not noticing that something was missing from there. They were about to leave when they saw the beast by the door.

"We're gonna have a delicious meal today." Ralyie smiled and picked it up. They were about to go out the door when a voice stopped them.

"Why don't we eat together, then?" They quickly turned around to look at another troll. It was Porrim. Except her skin was now white and glowing and her shirt was ruined by jade coloured blood.

"Didn't you say you were gonna take care of he-" Ralyie's sentence was stopped when he looked over at his partner and saw the look of pure terror on her face.

"I put the dagger through her heart. There is no way she survived that." Prirai whispered.

"Well, she fucking did." The olive troll clicked his tongue as he dropped the things he was holding and walked towards Porrim holding the scepter in his hand.

The jade troll started running and in a few seconds he was past him. Ralyie looked back and saw Porrim with her fangs in Prirai's neck. After a few seconds, she let go and the lifeless body fell to the ground.

Porrim used the back of her hand to wipe the cerulean blood off her mouth. Ralyie's eyes filled with rage as he started running fast towards Porrim. This time however, she felt her reflexes become better and stronger and she could dodge every attack from the olive blood. His moves were becoming sloppy and uncalculated.

Porrim managed to catch Ralyie's staff in her hand. He backed away. Feeling strength in her arms she snapped the hard metal in half, surprising the other troll. He started backing away from the raging jade troll in front of him. His back hit a wall and Porrim used this as an opportunity to run up to him and shove her fangs into his thick skin. The battle was lost as Ralyie lost his strength little by little.

After she was satisfied, Porrim let go of him and he fell to the floor. She sighed in relief.

She picked up both bodies and went outside. After she was far enough from her house she dropped the bodies to the ground. Not looking back, she turned around and returned to her hive. She tried her best to fix the door and climbed upstairs to the second floor.

She entered her bathroom and used the water she managed to get running to clean herself and her clothes. She put on a robe that somehow managed to survive the robberies and looked in the mirror.

She knew what happened to her. In her short time in the cave she learned of the beings called 'Rainbow Drinkers' and she knew she displayed the symptoms. Because of this, Porrim asked an elder to elaborate on how to control her powers, should they ever appear.

The jade troll took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and concentrated on what she wanted to do. She opened her eyes slowly and noticed that the glow was fainter. She kept concentrating and after a few minutes her skin was back to normal.

She walked back to her respite block and changed in some other clothes that were running around. Feeling tired she decided to get some rest and sort everything out later.

She woke up to the sound of something breaking so she stood up quickly looking for the intruder. Her heart almost stopped in her chest when she noticed a hole in Kankri's pupa. She left the room in a hurry and noticed how one of the vases she had in the hallway was broken.

Porrim turned left and she could see the shadow of another being at the far end.

"Who is there?" She shouted and stormed to where that person was. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a little wiggler with short nubby horns. He looked up scared at her, but in his eyes there was a glint of recognition.

Porrim couldn't believe her eyes. Kankri was sitting in front of him. He wasn't a grub anymore. He was a small troll, just like her. She smiled while looking at him, and Kankri understanding there was no threat, got up, and with slow steady steps walked towards her. He stumbled on his feet a few times but when he got to Porrim he jumped in her arms.

They returned to the respiteblock where the jade blood gave Kankri some clothes that she made a few perigees prior to his pupation. She made sure he was preoccupied in her block and she ran downstairs to take the beast she caught. She skinned it and made a small fire to cook the meat.

Porrim fed Kankri and gave him as much as he wanted to eat. After he was done he fell asleep instantly and the jade blood couldn't take her eyes of him. She started eating and after she was done she cleaned up and proceeded to keep watch over her wiggler making sure nothing would harm his sleep.


	5. A mother's pride

The dark season was almost over and the first spring was just around the corner. The green moon was rarely seen anymore and the night sky was only lit by the gentle glow of the pink moon and the millions of stars. The cold winds of the winter were beginning to stop blowing around the cold grey planet. And somewhere, in the middle of a desert no one heard about proudly stood what would soon become a great part of Alternian history.

A few days have passed since Kankri pupated and he started being more curious every day. He could walk but not very long distances and he would often trip over his own little legs. Porrim would watch him with affection every now and then and sometimes even motivate him to walk just a little further. Now was on of those moments.

"Come, Kankri, just a little bit more," Porrim smiled as she whispered those words to the wiggler in front of him. Kankri giggled and made big and sloppy steps towards Porrim.

"Come on, Kankri, just a few more steps," the jade blood was crouching to the ground holding her arms for the wiggler to jump into. "Come to your-"

Porrim stopped mid sentence. What was she to Kankri? She wasn't his lusus, and saying guardian just didn't seem right. The jade blood thought back to when she took him. He was just a mutant at first in her eyes. But the Mothergrub thought differently and that convinced her to take him. Could she name herself after the Mothergrup? Porrim wondered and her thoughts were interrupted by a small troll jumping in her arms.

"Good job, Kankri," Porrim smiled, finally deciding on a name. "Your mother is so proud of you."

Kankri giggled and looked up at her. Porrim hugged him tightly.

They spent the rest of the night eating what was left of the beast Porrim slayed a while back. Kankri drifted off to sleep while Porrim made sure he was warm enough.

The jade blood decided that she would have to find some food before her wiggler woke up so, being as silent as she could, she put on a black cloak and walked out of her hive after locking it behind her. Kankri was a heavy sleeper and he hardly woke up after falling asleep. The nightmares wouldn't start for another few sweeps so he should be alright by himself until Porrim returned from the city.

The scorching Alternian sun was starting to be seen more and more every day, signaling the end of the dark season. She had a few hours of light in which the streets would be empty. She would be able to break into a shop and steal some food.

After a few minutes of walking the city appeared into her view. It was the first time she returned to the city since Tremok's death and she wasn't happy that she had to come back. She had no choice, though.

The sun was up into the sky when she stepped past the city gate. As Porrim predicted, the streets were empty. No ordinary troll would dare walk outside on daytime. But Porrim wasn't ordinary. Since she became a Rainbow Drinker, she was able to bear the sun even more than before.

Keeping the cloak wrapped around her body, Porrim walked trough the backstreets until she stumbled upon a small and dirty shop. Judging by the state of it, it was owned by a lowblood, therefore, no one would care if it was broken into.

The jade troll used her strength to push onto the door until the lock broke. She tried her best to not make much sound. Once inside, she took out a bag and stuffed in it anything she could find.

It appeared she wasn't silent enough, as a door burst open behind her. Porrim didn't waste any time looking and she ran past the front door, outside. She kept running, knowing that the owner wouldn't be able to follow her. Once she was past the city gates, she slowed down to catch her breath.

She walked fast and when she finally let a sigh of relief slip past her black lips, she reached the hive. She unlocked the door and went inside. She made her way upstairs and when she got close to the door of her respiteblock she heard cries coming from inside. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest as she burst the door open.

In front of her stood Kankri, looking at her with pale red tears in his eyes. The blankets that were used to keep him warm were spread across the room. Porrim didn't waste any time and ran over to the little wiggler to comfort him.

"Don't worry, Kankri," Porrim whispered. "Your mother is here." He cried in her chest for a few minutes until he finally calmed down.

They spent a few perigees like that, with Porrim going into the city every few weeks. Kankri got used to sitting alone once in a while, but the jade troll started becoming worried about leaving.

The highbloods were becoming aware that someone was stealing from the hives and shops of lowbloods and they would soon try to find the guilty one. She already used up all the money she had and they were almost out of food. She knew she would have to leave the safety of the hive soon, but Porrim wasn't sure Kankri was ready. He didn't grow up like he was supposed to.

Normally, wigglers would start communicating a few weeks after pupation. Their brains develop really fast after they are taken in by a lusus and they can understand and talk to their guardian. Later they learn to use words and communicate with other trolls as well. Porrim guessed that since she wasn't a lusus he would start speaking their language from the start. Apparently she was wrong. Even so she talked to him a lot and she knew Kankri understood her.

It was the middle of the second summer when Porrim saw some silhouettes in the distance. She knew exactly where they were heading. That's when she packed as much food and clothes as she could fit in a bag, took Kankri in her arms and left the hive for good. She walked through the cold sand until she got to the old tree where her moirail was buried. The small wiggler was startled by the sudden movement but he didn't complain, probably understanding that the situation was serious.

Porrim put Kankri down and let him play in the sand while she looked around to make sure there was no danger. That's when, in the distance, coming from the direction of her hive a big light appeared. The jade troll knew immediately what it had happened. Those that came to look for the thief didn't even bother to look inside. They just set the hive on fire. Porrim was so glad she was able to escape and save Kankri.

She turned around and held the wiggler in her arms, to comfort him... or maybe herself. She didn't let herself cry any longer, but Kankri must have known Porrim wasn't well.

"Mother," came a whisper and Porrim looked down at the wiggler. She smiled at him and answered.

"Don't worry, Kankri. I will not let anything harm you. You are the only thing I have left." Porrim looked at Kankri with love. He finally said something and it was her name. The young mother was so proud of him.


	6. A special troll

Porrim turned to look one last time in the direction of her hive. The flames weren't so big anymore, but they were still burning with no signs of dying out soon.

The jade blood took her bag and took out every single winter coat that she managed to stuff in there. Knowing she wouldn't need them anytime soon, she took a needle and some string and started sewing each piece of cloth together. By the time she was done, the Alternian sun was peeking from beyond the horizon. In front of her stood a large, thick piece of cloth that she wanted to use to make a small tent for Kankri to sleep in, to protect him from the sun. The only problem is she didn't have anything to raise it with.

She decided to use a tree branch as a support. Porrim started climbing the old tree that has watched over her for many years. Once she found a sturdy branch she snapped it off and was about to climb down.

Kankri, who for the first time has seen the bright light of the sun started jumping and pointing at it while shouting the word he has recently learned.

"Mother, mother, mother," the wiggler kept shouting.

"Yes, Kankri, that's the sun," answered Porrim softly.

"Sun?" asked Kankri.

"Yes," continued Porrim. Kankri then proceeded to jump up and down while shouting.

"Sun, sun, sun!"

His mother finally managed to finish the tent and she was quite proud of her creation. She went over to pick Kankri up and put him to sleep. He didn't understand why he couldn't ponder of his new discovery but when his head lay down on the soft improvised bed that his mother made, he fell asleep instantly. Porrim smiled at him and lay down herself for some much needed rest.

Next evening, Porrim packed everything up, took Kankri's hand and they set off for a long journey. The little wiggler would get tired easily and the mother would have to carry him most of the way. They slept during the day and walked during the night, and slowly the desert turned into plains and after days of walking, in the distance they could see a gigantic forest.

Kankri was sleeping in her arms, when they reached the rich, green trees. Porrim found a small river near which a giant tree was resting and she decided to wake up Kankri. During their journey he learned even more words and including the word "what". So whenever he found something interesting he would point at it and shout at the top of his lungs so that his mother would explain to him what he was seeing.

This time was no different. But before he could alert every creature around them, Porrim showed him everything that was around them and put him to sleep again as the sun rose. The jade blood also went to sleep outside the improvised tent.

The sun rays were making their way from between the leaves. Their warmth was caressing the hard earth and their light was reflecting off the river waves. The young mother sleeping was awoken suddenly by footsteps that were heard around them.

She jumped to her feet and looked around the find the source of the noise. On the other side of the river, an antlered hoofbeast was drinking peacefully from the cold water. Seeing as their provisions were almost finished Porrim decided to use this opportunity. She walked silently, crossed the river and without disturbing the beast she managed to get behind it.

Her skin had turned white by the time she sneaked around the beast. Without hesitation she jumped and thrust her fangs into the animal's neck. It stopped struggling after a few minutes and Porrim crossed the river to get back to her tent.

She took a knife and then started to skin the beast. By the time she was done, she had raw meat and animal hide that would definitely be useful for the winter that would arrive.

The sun was setting when Kankri finally woke up again. As he exited the tent he came face to face with his mother who was cooking the new acquired meat over a small improvised fire. Porrim took Kankri in her lap and sat him down between her legs. As the sun was setting, guardian and wiggler sat by the fire enjoying the silence.

When the meat was cooked Porrim gave Kankri a small piece so he could calm his hunger. The jade blood was not hungry seeing as she drank the creature's blood a while earlier. By the time Kankri was done the pink moon was high into the sky.

They spent almost a sweep like this, hiding in the forest, with no one bothering them. The winter was the hardest without much food, but with Porrim starving herself sometimes, Kankri didn't feel lack of anything.

He was 1 sweep old and all he did all day was talk. About something he heard moving in the forest that he didn't know what it was, about how he was learning to differentiate tree leaves or about that new toy that his mother made for him that he absolutely loved. But even so, Porrim wouldn't have him any other way, and she would always listen to what he had to say.

Porrim was cleaning up the remains of the beast they have been eating for a few days when Kankri's voice interrupted her work.

"Mother, look," shouted the wiggler, while pointing upwards, "the stars are so beautiful."

Porrim looked up at the sky and smiled. She left her work and went to sit down near the young troll. She picked him up, making him laugh. She dropped him on her lap with his head resting on her chest.

"Can you see the constellations, Kankri?"

"What are those?" asked the ever curious boy.

"The stars, if looked at correctly, form a shape," explained Porrim. "There are hundreds of them. And that's where we get our signs from. Every troll has their own signs, so it can be easier to tell them apart."

Kankri turned his head and looked at the Virgo symbol on Porrim's chest. She only then realized what she said to her son.

"Why don't I have one?"

"Because... You're special," Porrim whispered.

"Special, how?"

"You are different from everyone else in this world. From the way you live to the very colour of your blood. You see, Kankri, I didn't want to tell you this before, but you are not having the life you should."

Porrim was hesitant to tell him about who he is, but she knew Kankri, as young as he was, he was also smart, and he understood things, wigglers his age wouldn't.

"Normally, every wiggler until a certain point in their life would have a lusus. A lusus is a beautiful and strong creature that acts as a guardian for the young troll," Porrim explained.

"Like you?" asked Kankri, earning a small chuckle in response.

"No, I am not a lusus. Unfortunately, because of the color of your blood no lusus would take you. That's why, I did. Even though, it went against the rules."

"Is that why we're hiding? Or why you sleep with a knife beside you?"

Porrim widened her eyes. He had no idea Kankri knew about that.

"Yes, that's right. But that's enough for tonight. When you grow older, I will tell you more."

Kankri pouted but listened to what his guardian said. They spent the rest of the night, watching the stars and trying to make out constellations.


	7. A saved life

And like this, days and perigees and seasons passed. Until the harsh winter and the spring returned. And everything was the same as it always was. The young troll and his guardian, living in a forest, away from anyone of the outside world.

And somewhere, a few kilometers away from their camp there was a small town. Smaller than the one Porrim has known while growing up. She had visited the place a few times, doing labors in order to get some money. She used the money to buy Kankri some things that couldn't be acquired in a forest. At the moment, the wiggler was reading a book. Porrim has taught him how to read a while back and that was the only thing he has wanted to do since. The mother knew this would happen. Kankri was always fascinated about learning new things and books, even fictional stories, were a great way of learning.

The two of them were enjoying the cool evening when they heard a twig snap behind them. Porrim jumped to her feet, her skin starting to glow white.

"Stay behind me, Kankri," the rainbow drinker ordered and the young troll complied.

Porrim could make out a figure running towards them from the darkness of the trees. She took a defensive stance and prepared herself for the attacker. From between the trees a small figure appeared. Upon looking closer, Kankri realized it was just a wiggler, maybe a bit older than himself. She had long, tangled hair who was full of dried leaves. Her horns were short and pointy, somehow resembling cat ears. She was covered in olive blood and her body was only sheltered by an animal fur. When she reached the fire, she collapsed to the ground.

"Stay here," Porrim said to the little troll beside her.

She ran towards the girl and crouched down to have a better look at her.

"Please...," she said, her voice hoarse, "help me."

After that, the girl closed her eyes and Porrim could tell she fell unconscious. The rainbow drinker reverted back to her gray skin and took the girl in her arms. She proceeded to walk to the other side of the river when Kankri shouted out to her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting her as far away from here as possible," answered Porrim, not stopping.

"She's hurt, mother. She needs help," Kankri said as he followed her.

"I told you to stay where you are, Kankri," said Porrim sternly. "I will be back soon."

"No!" shouted Kankri. "She could die if we don't help her."

"We don't know anything about her and that makes her dangerous. Now stay here until I return and no more arguments! I know what's best."

"Letting her die is best? If we do this we are no better than those bad trolls you keep telling me about." Kankri reached his mother's side and looked up at her with big eyes. Porrim sighed and turned around but this time she calmly explained.

"I can't risk putting you in danger. Who knows what she'll do when she wakes up."

"She is hurt and you are very strong. Please, mother. I won't ask for anything else, I promise. Let's help her."

Porrim, somehow convinced, hesitantly returned to the campfire with Kankri on her heels. She put down the mysterious girl and after looking around for a clean cloth, she dipped it in the river water. She spent the next few minutes cleaning the wounds of the girl while the other wiggler was curiously looking over her shoulder.

After the white cloth turned green and the wounds were treated, Porrim covered the girl's body with a blanket and left her to rest.

For 2 days she kept sleeping. Kankri was really worried about her and wouldn't leave her side. When she finally stirred, Kankri quickly alerted his mother. Porrim came running and fell down on her knees near the girl.

When she opened her eyes, Porrim pushed Kankri away from her. He didn't protest. It took a little for the girl to fully realize where she was. She quickly backed away, scared, after noticing the unfamiliar faces in front of her.

"What is your name?" asked Porrim, not moving her gaze from her.

"Who are you? What did you do to?" She was obviously scared but she tried not to show it.

"You don't have to be scared. We took care of you. We won't hurt you," said Kankri while stepping in front of her mother. But, before he could get any closer to the girl Porrim put a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stop.

"Don't worry, mother. She won't hurt me," Kankri said while he moved away from the safety of his guardian's strength.

"My name is Kankri," he said as he extended his hand for the girl to take.

"Meulin...," the girl whispered while taking his hand and getting up from the ground.

Porrim stepped forward between the two wigglers. She, once again, put a hand on Kankri's shoulder before pushing him back a little.

"What happened to you? Why were you hurt like that? Was anyone following you?" Kankri was about to say something but his mother looked at him sternly. He didn't dare open his mouth after that.

"No one followed me," Meulin said keeping her gaze lowered. "And... before I came here..." Her voice cracked signaling that tears might be following soon, but they didn't.

"My lusus was culled," she finally said letting out a shaky breath. "We didn't do anything, I swear. My hive was in a cave. We lived there, not bothering anyone," she stopped to catch her breath and then continued. "And these highbloods came out of nowhere. They demanded food and we had no choice but to give it to them. Then... after they ate, I had to watch as one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed my lusus. I asked them why they did it. They said they wanted the cave for the day. After, they beat me until they thought I was dead. I managed to sneak away while they were sleeping."

"Was your hive far from here?" Porrim asked, not sparring the girl.

"Yes... I walked a lot to get here. I wanted to be as far away from them as possible."

"Mother, please stop. You are making her uncomfortable," intervened Kankri. "Are you hungry?"

Meulin didn't answer but she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Come, we have some leftovers, Kankri said as he reached a hand out to her, waiting patiently for her to take it. Once she did, the boy led Meulin to the warmth of the fire.

Porrim watched helplessly knowing she had nothing on the girl. Not wanting to leave them alone, she followed and sat down beside the two wigglers.

It was obvious that Meulin was hungry, but she ate slowly and shyly from the pieces of meat that were given to her. She refused when she was offered more and after drinking some water, Kankri advised her to get some rest, while promising her safety. She seemed reluctant to go to sleep with strangers around her but the exhaustion was greater than her doubt. She fell asleep by the fire, under the same blanket that has sheltered her for two days.

The other two stayed in silence watching the dance of the flames, until Porrim spoke.

"You did a good thing, Kankri."

"I did?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"You saved a life," Porrim explained, smiling at him.

"But you were the one who treated her," he said.

"If you didn't convince me to, she would have most likely died. It's you who saved her. I am proud of you."

"You seemed angry," Kankri continued, turning his head away from her.

"I was angry because you disobeyed me and put yourself in danger," the mother explained.

"I wasn't in danger. She would-"

"Not this time," Porrim interrupted. "But who knows what could have happened. You have to promise me, Kankri, that you will listen to what I say from now on, alright? I want what's best for you. And no matter what I ask you to do, you have to do it. Please, promise me," said Porrim gently.

Kankri hesitated but he eventually answered, "I promise."


	8. A welcomed gratitude

The next day, Meulin woke up and after Porrim looked at her wounds, the group had another meal. Shortly after, the jade blood left hunting and like usual she instructed Kankri about what to do something happened.

The evening was warm and humid. Kankri sat down by the river to enjoy the nature, when Meulin came to sit besides him. They stayed in silence until Meulin, broke it.

"So, what happened to you?" she asked turning her head towards him. "I told you my story, will you tell me yours?"

"My story... is a bit complicated," said Kankri not taking his eyes from the river's waves. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters, what is your caste? Porrim is a jade blood, right? I heard they lived underground so I thought she is a runway. But what about you? And how did you two meet?" She meant her questions to be innocent but she obviously upset Kankri, putting a frown on his face. Meulin didn't notice and kept staring at him expectedly.

"She is a runaway because we met," explained Kankri. "Also, why does my caste matter?"

Kankri starting rubbing his elbow, looking a bit distraught. Meulin took notice of this and she took his hand in hers. She gasped a little at what she saw on his arm. He had a small scar from a scratch he got a while back. Kankri didn't turn to look at her and only spoke after she did.

"You are a-"

"Mutant," Kankri finished for her. He looked down refusing to meet her gaze. "Mother said I am special. When I asked her more she didn't want to tell me. I read about castes and mutations in a book she got me and now I know why. I am not special, I am just a freak."

"No, that's not true!" quickly intervened Meulin. "You are special. You saved my life. No other person would have done that, yet you did."

"So what?" asked Kankri finally meeting her gaze. "You thinking that doesn't change the color of my blood."

"I am not the only one thinking that. Porrim put herself in danger to save you. She saw something in you that no one else did," Meulin said, squeezing his hand.

Kankri smiled softly at this, "You might be right. I just have to live up to that, now."

Meulin returned his smile and they sat in silence for the next few minutes. It was all new to Kankri, interacting with trolls other than his mother. And even though he barely knew her, he felt safe with Meulin. Like they already spent so much time together. even though it has only been a few hours.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kankri out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" asked Meulin turning his gaze towards him.

"Well, you don't have your lusus anymore, do you? After you heal, what will you do? Where will you go?" explained Kankri.

"I... haven't thought about that, yet."

"Why don't you stay with us?" proposed Kankri.

"What?" asked Meulin confused.

"The only problem is mother won't agree to it at first, but she'll come around. You are a nice troll, not like the kind she tells me about. I know she knows that, too but she doesn't want me in danger. Even so, I will convince her, don't worry," said Kankri while showing a bright smile.

Meulin didn't say anything and just stared at him for a few seconds. She then broke into a grin. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed while tackling Kankri to the ground so she could hug him. "Sorry!" she said between giggles, followed by Kankri's own cheery laugh. The sounds of the echoed through the trees making everything seem just a little bit .

A few days have passed and Porrim finally returned to the wigglers carrying a beast on her back. They were all sitting down by the fire, chatting and waiting for the meat to roast when Kankri brought up the subject he has been looking forward to discussing.

"Mother, I wanted to ask you something..."

"Yes, Kanny, dear, what is it?" Porrim moved her gaze from the fire to the boy and noticed how nervous he was. She furrowed her eyebrows at this, but kept silent as she waited for him to speak. Kankri smiled a little at the used nickname and continued.

"You know how Meulin doesn't have anywhere to go, right?" Porrim only nodded her head.

"Well, I thought maybe she could stay with us," said Kankri closing his eyes not wishing to see his mother's reaction.

Porrim sighed, "I knew you would be proposing this and I have thought about it."

"Really?" Both kids' faces lit up after hearing this.

"But, food might be a problem," said Porrim but she was quickly interrupted.

"I'm a hunter! I can kill gigantic beasts with my bare hands. I can help with food," Meulin said, a little too eagerly.

"Well then, it's decided," said Porrim with a smile, "you can stay, Meulin."

The kids squealed in excitement and both jumped to hug Porrim tightly. They spent the rest of the night eating and laughing without a care.

The next day, Porrim decided to run into the small town at the outskirts of the forest for reasons she refused to mention so the wigglers were left alone for a little while. When she returned , she brought in her bag a long black fabric. Without saying a word she sat down and started sewing using olive string.

The kids watched curiously but they didn't interrupt her. Once she was done she turned over to Meulin.

"What is your sign?" she asked her.

Meulin picked up a stick and made a drawing on the ground. She started by making a small circle and finishing it with a loop.

"It's called Leo," she said while Porrim picked up her needle and string and started remaking the symbol on the shirt she was holding. It took her a while but when she was done, the mother was greatly pleased with her creation.

"Change into this," she told the girl.

Meulin took off her fur and handed it to Porrim. She put on the clothes and they fit her perfectly. She was surprised seeing as the jade troll has never taken her measurements. The girl realized Porrim had an affinity for this kind of thing.

The clothes made for her a bit tight but they were not limiting her movement. There were no overflowing parts unlike Porrim's dress and Meulin realized that it was because during hunting that would be a nuisance.

"Thank you," she said, genuinely smiling at the mother while feeling gratitude for everything that was done. The smile was returned and no other words were spoken that night, between the two.


End file.
